She was the most outlandish, outrageous, in-your-face symbol of the age— and suddenly, shockingly, she was gone. In life her antics, adventures, and behavior kept a nation riveted; in death she stunned a world gripped by the surprise and swiftness of her unexpected passing. The woman was, of course, Anna Nicole Smith. With fierce resolve, pluck, luck, and determination, Anna clawed her way to celebrity status, first by landing a centerfold in Playboy magazine, then getting named as Playmate of the Year. She then became a tabloid staple, finding even greater notoriety as she obtained unimaginable wealth after marrying a billionaire more than 60 years her senior. And then, in a moment, she was gone, not yet 40 years old.

This is the story of the little girl from west of nowhere, born into a broken, dysfunctional, dirt-poor family, told by the one woman who knew her best— her sister. A Horatio Alger story with a bitter ending, Train Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith is the definitive story of the rise and swift fall of one of the most compelling characters to blaze across the American sky.